Manufacture of glass sheets.



F. L. o'. wAD-swormi.l

' IvmNuFAclms urGLAsssHEETs.

'APPLICATION rufo APR. 1a. m09.,`

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

A @E 'e .Iffrfffb Q 7l-JNM- Y El,

F. L. o. wADswoRTH.'

'MANUFACTURE oF GLAss SHEETS.

APPLICATION FILED APR'. I3. 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

tra; ar

`nur

FRANK L. o. wAnswoRTH, or SEW'ICKLEYJENNSYLVANIA;

MANUrAcTUnn or Grass sns-Ems.

Spelcication of Letters Patent. Patented NOV., 30, 1915.

applicati@ mea April 13,1909. serial No. 489,572.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, F RANK L. O. WADS- woRTH, residing ,at Sewickley, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, a citizen of the United States, have invented or discovered certain new and useful Improvements in the Manufactureof Glass Sheets, of which improvements the following is a specification.

The invention described herein relates to:

described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification Figure 1 is a sectional elevation showing a portion of a glass melting furnace, a receptacle connected to the furnace andapparatus for drawing a wire mesh through the receptacle., Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation on a plane indicated by the line II-II Fig. 1. Fig. 3 isa sectional plan view on a plane indicated by the line III-III Fig. 1. Fig. 4: is a sectional view showing the glass receptacle and a portion of the drawing apparatus at the beginning of the operation. Fig. 5 is a -detail view showing the bait.

In the practice of my invention a pot or receptacle 1 having an inlet port 2 is held against the forehearth of the furnace 3 with said port in register with an inlet passage 4 in the forehearth. The iiow of glass through this passage to the pot is controlled by a gate 5. A second gate 5a maybe employed adjacent to the end of the outlet passage, thus forming a closed chamber in which the glass may be further heated if necessary. Y.

By lowering the gates 5, 5a, so that their lower ends will be submerged in the glass,

' the admission of air under pressure into this chamber through the pipe 5c willforce the glass under the gates and out of the chamber, thus diminishing the depth of the glass in the chamber, which will be of advantage in case it is desired to heat it to, a

high temperature by means of the burners 51.l

lA. cover 6 for the pot is movably supported on rails 7 permitting of the shifting of the cover back-and forth as circumstances may require.

The reinforce fabric is caused to enter the glass 1n the pot l and to leave it at a .diderent point in a' direction substantially at right angles to the surface of the glass.

In the construction shown in Figs. l, 2, 3,

and l the fabric,in short or long sections, 1s preferably wound on a reel 8 arranged below the pot and the end of the section is passed up through a slot 9 in the bottom of the pot. After being inserted through this slot the end of the fabric issecured to a suitable clamping device, such for example as that shown in Fig. 5, consisting of a block 10 of refractory material having a dovetailed groove at its lower side-in which the end of the fabric is secured by means .of wedge blocks 11. This pulling block 10 is provided with suitable means for attachment to a hoisting mechanism, such for eX- ample as that shown consisting of a drum 12, around which is wound the rope 13 having its end connected to the pulling block. The drum is driven in any suitable manner,

preferably by means of a motor 14 through the medium of a worm and gear, the worm being detachably connected to the armature shaft 15 by a clutch mechanism 16. .g

' yAt the beginning of the operation the block 10 .havingthe end of the fabric secured therein is lowered down so as to cover the slot in the pot 1 or to be slightly above the bottom of the pot. The lower faces of the block 10 and the wedge blocks 11 are inclined upwardly and inwardly from their outer edges, as indicated at 11a Fig. 5, in order to form a` grooved lower face adapted to it over the top of the slot 9, so as to seal the slot beforeA the drawing commences. The gate 5 is then raised permitting the glass to flow into the pot toa suitable depth. In order to insure uniformdistribution of the glass an abutment or drum 17 is arranged in the pot between the slot and the inlet port 2, so 4that the glass is caused to flow around the ends of this abutment and to flow into the portion of the pot containin the slot in a direction substantially parallel to the sides of the fabric or sliiet l adhere thereto, thel thickness of -layer thus yadhering being dependent either'upon the temperature ofthe glass or the rate of moveover' the slot should be slight, so thatY there will be a material cooling ofthe glass adjacent tothe plane of the fabric. rl`his cooling should however be so localized that there will not be any' interruption of flow of glass in against the fiber. To attain this end the bottom of the pot adjacent to the slot and I formingv the edges thereof is for a substantial distance around the slot raised up above the general level of the bottom of the pot, as

shown at 9, thus decreasing the -depth of" a substantial body of glass around the fabric, but insuring a sufficient depth away from the fabric and slot to insure a uniform flow of glass inwardly against the fabric. As shown in Figs. l, 2 and 4, this raised por-tion 9a is preferably formed of .a block of fire-clay independent of the body of thepot and removable therefrom.

The edges of the bottom of the block 9a are shown, as tapering downwardly and inwardly, resting on a correspondingly inclined annular lip 9b formed at the top of the oriiice 9c through the bottom of thef pot.

' By this construction the block 9a may easily be removed and replaced whenever desired. By provision of -the burners 9d the glass Ain the pot may be caused to flow readily down through the orifice 9C when the block 9a is removed, and the inclined annular lip 9b be rendered clear of glass. These burners 9d may also be employed, if necessary, to regulate the temperature of the block 9a and the slot 9. 'lhe regulation of the temperature ofthe s lot itself may also-be effected by means of an electric resistance heater 9e embedded in the block91, as indicated in Fig. 4.

In order to insure the production of sheets having smooth surfaces and of uniform thickness, rollers 20 may be arranged on opposite sidesof the path of movement of the glass from the pot. These rollers are supported by arms 21 pivotally mounted on a suitable frame work above the pot. The rollers are moved toward and from the plane of movement of the sheet in any suitable manner, preferably by means of a right and left handscrew 23 held as against movement in the supporting frame and engaging nuts 24 on: the arm 2l. By means of this construction the rollers may be separated suthciently to allow the block l0 to pass, as

into the -position shown in F ig. 2, in order indicated in Fig. d, and then be shifted back d so' to bear againstthe opposite surfaces of the sheet being drawn. These rollers can be rotated either by contact with the sheet or can berotated positively. A 'In order to regulate the temperature of the glass iowing into the-pot a chamber 38 is arranged under the forehearth and adjacent to the outlet passage, in which gas is introduced fo combustion, through suitable.

pipes 39, the products of combustion passing out through a flue 40. The temperature of the glass can also be regulated if desired by means'of burners 4l entering the outlet passage in the lflor'ehearth immediately above the mass, is reduced as it flows in toward and against the sides of the fabric or reinforcement and by reason of the reduction in depth and mass, there will be a reduction of temperature of the glass at the time' of its adherence of the fabric. In the construction shown in Figs. l to 4 this reduction in mass is effected by raising the bottom of the potadjacent to the slot as described.

I claim herein as my invention: d

l. In an apparatus for drawing reinforced glass sheets, the combination with'a receptacle provided with an opening in its bottom and a seat in said opening, of a plug removably mounted on said seat and provided with a slot therethrough for the passage of the reinforce', and means withinqthe opening and beneath the seat for applying heat to the plug and seat.

i 2. In an apparatus for drawing reini forced glass sheets, the combination with a receptacle for the glass provided with an elongated slot for the passage of the rein` force, said slot having inclined walls,`of a bait-carrying block having its lower face formed to coperate with the walls of thel slot and to seal the slot before the drawing commences.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand. i FRANK L. O. WADSWORTH. Witnesses:

CHARLES BARNETT,

FRANCIS J. 'loMAssoN. 

